Salvare
by AbaddontheDevourer
Summary: A child abandoned and devoid of love cries out in the night. An ancient System created to defend Man, decrepit and broke, struggles to stem the tide of darkness. A slumbering God, dreams of his children's happiness as the World continues without him. The masses cry out his name desiring Salvation. A miracle, a wish granted, power bestowed upon the child who never lost faith.
1. Lightfall

Chapter 1

A bright light flared to life in front of them, its fiery edge tracing out the distinctive arcane formulae used for transportation. However what was most disconcerting was the personal symbol in the center. Each family had their own personal sigil, which marked the transportee as being under their protection, and the one appearing before them now was one she had only seen in the history books.

The Seal of the Original Leviathan. When the first Four Satans had died and they were trying to figure out who would lead them certain factions had wanted to consolidate power with those descended from the Original Devil Lords. Civil war was inevitable and the Old Satan faction had bitterly resisted until the very end, trying to claim the seats that their Ancestors had held. The Devils already exhausted by the Great War fought once more in a civil war that decimated the remaining Pillar Families. Those families of the Old Satan factions refused to concede defeat, and sought to continue the Great War. In the end though the New Satan Faction had won and those that had supported the Old Satan faction were either killed or forced into exile on the very fringes of their society.

The unsteady peace created in the aftermath of the death of the 4 Satans was maintained and the three Biblical Factions were forced into a Cold War.

A single woman appeared from the magic circle. A beauty even amongst her own kind, her ample curvaceous figure only emphasized by the extremely low cut dress that she wore; one side had a high slit, revealing a shapely leg. "How do you do, Sirzechs?" The woman greeted Sirzechs with a fearless smirk.

"The one descended from the blood of the previous Leviathan, Katerea Leviathan." Sirzechs exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

The woman, Katerea Leviathan, gave a defiant smile and spoke haughtily. "The members of the Old Satan faction have decided to cooperate with Khaos Brigade."

"What! What a thing to say. Coming here, the Old Satan faction has the audacity to—." One of the Devil guards muttered.

"So it's a feud between the new and Old Satan side and the New Satans that has become full-scale war. Devils are also difficult." Azazel shook his head smiling as if it was someone else's problem.

"Katerea, is it okay to interpret those words literally?" The Crimson Satan asked, his eyes narrowing in displeasure.

"Sirzechs, it's exactly as I said. We are also taking charge of this attack right now." Katerea confirmed.

"So it's a coup d'état, huh?"

Yes, this was a coup d'état. A rebellion by the old Maou faction against the new Maou faction. To declare this at such a time and place…Moreover, they were lending a hand to a terrorist group.

"…Katerea, why?"

"Sirzechs, we've only arrived at the exact opposite idea of this meeting today. We've concluded that, since God and the original Satans are gone, this world should be reformed."

So they did this rebelled after learning everything about the non-existence of God and the peace conference of the three great powers.

Moreover, they decided to take the opposite path, coming here to destroy everything that the Biblical Faction Leaders had strode to build.

"Has Ophis seen that far ahead into the future? Though that doesn't seem likely."

Katerea just let out a breath in response to Azazel's question. "Aside from being a symbol of power, he just bears the position for the sake of gathering power. We've asked for his help to destroy the world and rebuild it again. We will be the ones to manage the new world!"

If Azazel's story from before was true, then in addition to the old Maou faction and the magicians, rebels from the fallen angels and angels have appeared as well.

"Do you really hate peace so much?" Sirzechs-sama smiled sadly. "So you're gathering Angels, Fallen, and Devils who want their own world and a new Earth to rule over, and your leader is the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis."

The strongest dragon feared even by God. According to legends it was stronger than even the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon. A dragon that embodied infinity and had power to overwhelm even the Biblical God in his prime.

"Katerea-chan! Why are you doing such a thing!?" Serafall cried out.

Katerea shot a hateful glare at the Satan's outburst. "Serafall, how dare you act so shamelessly, you were the one who stole the position of Leviathan from me! I, who was descended from the original Leviathan! I was the one suited to take the mantle of Satan!"

"Katerea…I –!"

"Don't worry, Serafall. Today, I'll kill you and take the title of Leviathan for myself. Your dreams of peace snuffed out, and when I'm done with you'll I'll take your sister as wergild. Then, Ophis will become the god of the new world. It's fine if he's just a symbol. The system and laws, the doctrine will be constructed by us. Your time is over." She glared fiercely, a sadistic smile adorning her face as she glared at the assembled leaders. "Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs."

The expressions of Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael, all darkened at Katerea's words.

"That's enough Katerea." A voice called, cutting off the Descendent of Leviathan's tirade. "If you're going to do something then just do it, don't waste valuable time monologuing like a stereotypical villain."

A magic circle completely different from any other that they had ever seen materialized. Perfectly balanced, elegantly simple, yet needlessly complex she stared at the ever-shifting formulae and runes, finding herself drawn deeper and deeper into its depths.

"Ouch." Sona yelped feeling someone pinch her delicate skin. Turning she shot a withering glare at the Fallen Governor who did nothing more than shrug.

"You were being entranced." He explained, ignoring the look that her sister was leveling at him for daring to hurt her even if it was for her own good.

"Entranced?" She asked skeptically. That was impossible, she was a high-class devil, and her own unique heritage should have defended her against any compulsions and mind magics not cast by someone on the level of her Sister.

"Visual hypnosis, combined with a seductive presence." Azazel said grimly. "It seems that, that circle is more than a simple transportation one."

The voice came back, laughing lightly as his trick was discovered. "Well thought out Governor." The circle flashed once more and from it out stepped a man. He was dressed sharply in a charcoal grey bespoke power suit elegantly cut to emphasize his athletic physique. A crisp white shirt contrasted nicely with the color of the suit and finally a blood red tie brought attention to the platinum tie bar he wore. In his left breast pocket he had a white silk pocket square neatly tucked away with a presidential fold.

Turning away from his clothes she could feel her breath hitching at the smile on his face. He was without a doubt handsome, not in the effeminate manner of Sirzechs Lucifer (not that she would ever say that out loud) nor the rugged handsomeness of grizzled men like her father, but somewhere in between. He had long black hair that lightly touched the collar of his shirt and had a silky look to it, her hand twitching at the thought of running her fingers though those locks. A pair of half rimmed glasses framed the most gorgeous pair of emerald green eyes that she had ever seen. Almost unconsciously she found herself moving towards him, as he smiled roguishly down at her, his gaze sending heat and lust coursing through her body.

To those who were there they could only watch as wings sprouted from her back as she readied herself to take flight. "Kaichou!" Tsubaki said grabbing onto her, his Queen enhanced speed allowing her to cover the distance within seconds.

At the abrupt tackle she finally managed to break eye contact with the enchanting man before her. "What?" She wondered, her hand going to her head as she fought off a splitting headache.

"A pity her mind is so weak, easily malleable." The man sighed. "My apologies, but I had thought she would be strong enough to resist my charm."

"Charm?" Sona muttered, wondering if it was something similar to what her friend's Knight had in regards to his female classmates. She didn't miss the insult though as she leveled a withering glare at him, and he had the audacity to smile back at her.

"That's not charm anymore." Azazel commented, staring at the piercing green eyes of the young man in front of him. Meeting his gaze head on he immediately flinched, his right hand clamping down on his left wrist as it rose against his will. "WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LOOK HIM IN THE EYE!" Azazel screamed struggling with his disobedient arm.

"Tch." The young man clicked his tongue in annoyance, as most of the inhabitants of the room suddenly found the floor very interesting or were looking past him at the woman by his side. "Don't you know how rude it is to not look at the person speaking?"

"Mystic Eyes of Enchantment." Azazel sputtered finally gaining dominance of his arm once more.

"My, aren't you a sharp one." The magician observed, before turning to the woman by his side, her face flushed red with barely contained rage. "Oh don't look at me like that my Dear, you had a job to do and yet you decided to waste our time revealing to the enemy our plan. It's sad really, one wouldn't expect the woman descended from THE Leviathan to be such a cliché villain."

The gathered people could see her about to snap in rage, when the man continued, a smirk on his face as he enjoyed winding her up. "But then again if you had anything going for you but those horribly fake implants, maybe you would be somebody rather than a nobody, little better than a stray mutt."

"You dare?!" She hissed in anger, her hand clenching her staff tightly, hatred in her eyes, and a curse ready to leap from her hand.

"I dare." The man responded, before turning her back on her, just daring her to attack, to open herself up to another beating. Reluctantly she lowered her hand. "A pity, I was hoping to crush what little pride you had left, to have you prostrate before me once more. Regrettably, however we have other business that needs to be addressed."

Taking a single step forward he vanished, reappearing in the meeting room a mere foot away from both Sona and her peerage as well as Rias'. He saw both leaders of the Underworld stiffen, their eyes sharpening as they judged whether they would be able to save their beloved sibling and their servants in time should he attack as fast as he had just moved. He saw Serafall Leviathan lower herself, weight pressed against the balls of her feet as she readied herself to move as quickly as possible. Next to her Sirzechs Lucifer had begun to release a portion of his power, readying himself to create a distraction so that his fellow Satan could save the perceived hostages.

So great was their coordination, and experience working together that the entire plan was concocted on the fly and both knew exactly what to do without either one speaking a single word or sharing a look.

"Good evening, Leaders of the Biblical Faction." The man said, bowing from his waist to a perfect 45 degree. "I apologize for the rudeness of my compatriot. Please do forgive her."

Katerea opened her mouth to protest but a single look shot from the young man towards her had her shutting it with an audible click.

"Who are you?" Michael asked, turning his melancholy stare towards him.

"Ah." The man said. "Where are my manners?" Stepping away from Sona and her peerage the two Satan's did not allow themselves to relax as they readied themselves. "My name is Harry Potter, but you might know me better as Hadrian Ambrosius, I command the Magicians gathered here today."

"Ambrosius?" Michael asked, the assembled Devils' eyes going wide at the name. Merlin Ambrosius the human who singlehandedly created the entire Magicians Faction. The man who took his knowledge of Devil Magic and turned it into a form usable by everyday humans. Never before had a descendent of the Legendary Magician appeared before and now here he was opposing them.

"Correct, I am a descendent of the Legendary Magician who stood by Arthur's side and laid the foundations for all human magic users."

With a snap of his fingers a single red rose appeared in his hands as he approached Sona. "I'm sorry my dear. Please do forgive my earlier crass comments, and accept this trifle token." Wordlessly she took it, her eyes flickering from the rose to his for the briefest of moments. She flinched as her finger brushed one of the rose's thorns before retreating closer to her sister.

"And I do not need to see you to hear you, my Dear." He said without turning towards the Leviathan's Descendent. "Unlike you who were so focused on your villainous monologue that you weren't paying attention to your surroundings, I have." With a snap of his fingers, two magic circles appeared and next to him. When they faded it revealed both of the people that Grayfia had previously teleported:

Rias Gremory and Issei Hyoudou.

Both had been sent to try to rescue her other Bishop and to end the temporal lock on the area, but he had other plans.

Now they were chained to silver crosses, their backs burning as they touched the blessed object, the chains digging deeper and deeper into their flesh as they struggled to escape the pain. "These two were a minor irritant, yet if they had succeeded our plans would've been disrupted." He didn't fail to see the hatred that Sirzechs was shooting him, his form barely maintained as power burst forth from him. "Of course trash like this was doomed to fail since the beginning."

He was surprised that the Crimson Satan managed to keep his temper somewhat in control as Rias and Issei screamed against the blessed silver.

"However I am merciful and as such will allow you to choose." An immaculate white sword materialized in his right hand. From where he was standing he saw Michael's eyes go wide at the aura they were emitting. "Michael understands." He nodded, "and he is correct." A snap of his fingers and a cruciform dagger materialized in his free hand and with a casual flick of his wrist it buried itself into the chest of a nearby devil.

She would always remember that sound. The howling screech as the guard clawed at his chest, his hands blistering as if burned when they came in contact with the dagger. His skin bubbled grotesquely as she struggled to hold back her bile. For every second that passed the man looked more and more like a melting wax figure, until with a final scream he collapsed and his entire body was immolated in white flames. "A sword imbued with the coveted Holy Light, focused and enhanced to create a devil slaying weapon. A single nick will cause agonizing pain, anything more than that…" Hadrian paused ominously. "…and you'll be picking up the remains of your sibling with a dust pan."

He kicked off the ground, retreating back to Katerea's side and with a grand flourish of arms commanded. "Now, Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer, no Sirzechs Gremory choose!" He took no pride in the look of despair that entered the strongest of the Satans, after all what he was doing was nothing more than a means to an end. What did get his blood pumping was the look of hatred that he was emitting, the breaking of the false mask that he wore. Here was Sirzechs Gremory, the Monster, the man who slaughtered thousands in his desire for peace and safety. Friends whom he had grown up with and fought with in the Great War, Aunts and Uncles who helped raise him and whom he remembered happily, their faces etched in horror and pain as the Power of Destruction erased them from existence entirely.

The mask of a carefree and happy individual hiding the heinous being that lurked below the surface. Rias was his treasured sister, her happiness and peaceful life the proof that all the blood he had shed was worth it. "Will it be your precious sister?" He swung the sword, stopping it so that it just touched her neck. Her screams pierced the silence, the Cross countering her natural accelerated healing as Holy Light invaded her body while the Holy Sword burned her. "Prideful, greedy, and weak, she desires to protect her servants yet is too weak to stop even the weakest of foes. She may be the next head of the Gremory Family but she is a disappointment to the Demon Gremory, she who led 26 Legions of Hell in the Great War."

"Or perhaps you'll choose to save the Red Dragon Emperor?" He shot a loathful look at the boy, a superior sneer graced his face, as he brandished the blade and like with Rias rest it on his skin. "Lust incarnate, and easily led around because of it, he holds within him the power of Ddraig, the Red Dragon of Domination. His power could slay a God, yet his ordinary body prevents him from ever reaching his true potential." A slight push cut his skin and his screams intensified as the Holy Sword seemed to glow brighter as if begging to be unleashed upon the foes of its Creator. "Still there's power in him, and with enough training he can become an Ultimate-Class Devil."

To him the choice of the Crimson Satan was obvious and his actions did not disappoint. Greed was the sin of the Gremory's after all.

Faster than most people could blink a dozen demonic circles surrounded him, and in the following moment he was being bombarded with tiny pellets of Destruction.

They may have been small, but whatever they touched, whether it be matter or magic, were utterly annihilated. Even with such dangerous powers assaulting him, he had nothing to fear. Every little bullet of Destruction froze before hitting him, hovering mid-air.

A spear of Holy Light came from behind him, as a shimmering barrier idly deflected the attack that Michael had thrown at him. "Naughty, naughty." He taunted. "What would your Father say to you, striking a person when their back was turned? Anger coursed through the Seraph, his eyes darkening as his the tips of his wings turned black. "Oh well, the opinion of the dead matters little, and that of his little puppet even less so."

"Don't do it Michael." Azazel warned, looking at his fellow leader. "If you Fall Heaven will be weak as they attempt to find a new leader."

"Tell me, did you bark like a good little dog?" Hadrian asked curiously. "Get a treat every time you came running to your master's call? A pat on the head every time you learned a new trick? And you Azazel..."

"Do your worst, nothing you say can harm me." Azazel said smugly.

"What a shame it is…" He started. "Poor Hadraniel, betrayed by the only one she loved more than her Heavenly Father. I can't even imagine the pain that she went through, seeing her husband laying with another woman. Her cries echoing through Heaven's walls, her sorrowful lamentations stirring even the stoic Raphael. A hundred days and a hundred nights, she wept, before finally on that faithful morning she faded, the Angel representing the Majesty of God, smothered under all those dark emotions. Azazel, the Scapegoat, The Seducer, the Angel detested by God, for your crime even the Almighty refused you Forgiveness. How does it feel to be one of only two beings to be utterly unforgivable in the eyes of your Father?"

With each word, hatred grew within the Fallen Governor, enough so that by the end of Hadrian's little speech, the man was seething, his dark aura manifesting around him. "Oh did I hit a nerve? What was that you said? 'Nothing you say can harm me'."

However before he could attack, Katerea stepped in front, fearlessly smiling as she hurled a bolt of chaotic magic towards her foe. The two foes kicked off and flew to the edge of the field, sparks flying as Light met Demonic power.

Meanwhile a single elegant brow rose in response to the attack, and to his credit Sirzechs did not allow this to shake him, as he readied himself to attack again. "Ruin of the Extinct." The strongest of the Satans commanded, releasing some of his own limiters. Numerous spheres, each one a ball of condensed Power of Destruction, surrounded them, and with a single gesture each one hurtled towards him.

Sona watched, as death headed towards the Descendent of the Legendary Magician. Never before had she seen such an attack, even her sister when she fought did not unleash the raw destructive might that the Leader of the Satans was casually emitting. Unknown to her the Underworld had not seen such an attack since the days of the Civil War, and if Sirzechs' detractors had seen what he had just done they would think twice before challenging him. Still though the magician looked carefree as the spheres of Destruction moved closer.

"Some people never learn." He said shaking his head at the impending attack. While nowhere near as fast as the previous attack had been, each sphere was packed with enough power to utterly decimate an Ultimate-Class Devil and the number hurtling towards him would have even posed a danger to Deities.

He held out his hand palm facing upwards, and those previously frozen bullet of Destruction flowed into it, compressing to form a single ball. Sirzechs attack, Ruin of the Extinct, followed each sphere flowing into his hand, yet the size never changed, keeping its compressed size. When the last attack faded away he held a pulsating red sphere with a darkness that swirled within. "Beautiful isn't it." He said hoisting the sphere up to eye level.

She couldn't help but agree as she felt the power within it pulsing. Enough power to wipe out an entire city lay in the palm of his hand and even though every instinct in her body told her to flee, that he literally held life and death in his hands, she was unable to tear her eyes away from it. "To think that even Devils would be able to create beauty like this."

"Such a shame." Closing his fist the sphere was snuffed out. She could literally feel the disbelieving stares being directed towards him. Magic was many things; to those properly trained Magic was less of a tool to be wielded but a desire in the back of their minds. They had grown so in tune with the force that even their subconscious desires could be made manifest if they weren't careful. Putting aside those monsters the average Magicians regularly gave the finger to science. The one before her was definitely no average Magician, and feeling the magic welling up within him, it was less like giving the finger to Science and more like telling Reality to bend over and bite down on the pillow. "Their Deaths are on your own head, but what is one more to the mountain of corpses left in your wake?"

With no hesitation he swung the Holy Sword, its aura growing brighter as if realizing that it was about to devastate an enemy of God. "Sirzechs!" Grayfia shouted, enacting a teleportation circle underneath the two captives while simultaneously creating barriers around both hostages. The Satan kicked off the ground, his entire being enveloped in crimson, as he unleashed everything. The room that they were in began to shake, no it was not the room but the entire pocket dimension that they were in as his power violently lashed out. His entire body turned red and in a blinding flash Sirzechs was gone and in his place was the True Power of Destruction, shaped in the form of a human. Human shaped annihilation hurtled towards him as the blade struggled to destroy the barriers.

"Magnificent!" Hadrian commented smiling brightly, snapping his fingers. The shaking immediately stopped and the cracks that had begun to form in the sky in response to the awesome power being displayed were immediately healed over. "However in this form you lack any control or finesse. I can feel it, the Power of Destruction is spreading, disobeying your commands, it wants to annihilate everything friend or foe. If you aren't careful even your sister will be put in harm's way." Hadrian warned, dodging the attacks of the Crimson Satan. Once again he snapped his fingers, the circles forming underneath Issei and Rias cracking and dissolving into a thousand pieces. He paid the hostages no mind as he tracked the streaking bolts of Destruction that Sirzechs threw and battered them away with contemptuous ease.

Seeing the futility of his ranged attacks 12 bat-like wings sprouted forth from his back as he took to the skies. Wings tipped with talons sharp enough to cut through steel outlined by the crimson power of destruction were stopped by a golden barrier as a fist crackling with the Bael's signature power was caught in a silver gauntlet. "Divinely forged steel, created by the Biblical God to armor his Seraphim." Once again, Michael's eyes widened at his possession of Holy artifacts. "Truly Heaven's security has grown lax to have not noticed such a relic missing."

The power of destruction even though it was capable of erasing anything was demonic in nature and as such faltered when it met its polar opposite, Holy Light, and in such quantities that it did, absolute ruin was stopped cold. The power of destruction lashed out violently in defiance of the Holy Armor that was protecting his foe. "Repulse." A wall of pure kinetic energy flew from him, blasting the Satan clear across the courtyard. "Is this the best the strongest of the Satans can offer?" He asked disappointedly.

Lightning burst from Sirzech's fingers, infused with Destruction, flashed towards him. "Better." The Lightning flowed through him coalescing into his outstretched hand. Lightning was a great offensive element as it had incredible speed and penetrative power.

Flinging his hand away the gathered lightning branched out. "YAARGH!" Issei and Rias screamed as thousands of volts of electricity flowed through them. "Yet I still find your rumored skills wanting." He paused, looking over the Satan with a critical eye. "Perhaps if the stakes were taken higher?" Piercing emerald eyes flicked towards the Silver haired maid.

She along with Michael and Serafall were busy maintaining the barriers around the clubroom, preventing the massive collateral damage from reaching them as well as stopping them from being wiped out in their carelessness, during the titanic battle. Floating down gently, she was barely able to shout a warning before the barriers around them shattered. Oppressive power bore down on her, driving her and her peerage to their knees. It was difficult to even breathe as it felt like someone was pouring cement down her lungs. She saw her pawns clutching their throats as they convulsed on the ground, their eyes going wide as blood pooled from their nose. Black brogue shoes marched closer, stopping only a few feet in front of her, just as another stepped in front of her. Just as suddenly as she had been forced down she regained her breath, greedily sucking in air as the pressure abated. Slowly and on shaking legs she forced herself to stand.

A sinful beauty stood in front of her, clad in a racy dark navy dress that emphasized her ample figure. Raven tresses flowed down her back, and as she turned her head slightly, Sona caught sight of her icy azure eyes, her dark hair framing a stunning face. Rosy lips parted in a familiar smile. "Are you okay Sona?" Her voice was husky and seductive more suited to whispering sinful temptations than being laced with concern.

"Serafall?" She asked hesitantly.

"Wonderful!" Hadrian commented drawing both women's attention. "Truly the rumors have not done your beauty and power justice. Truly you could stand next to the likes of Gabriel and Penemue, and no man would ever find you wanting. Serafall Sitri, the Demon of Envy, the woman for whom even Angels Fell. A Devilish woman without peer, Corrupter of Innocence, Queen of the Rime, and Slayer of her own Kin."

"You talk too much." Serafall said through narrowed eyes. Hundreds of cerulean circles filled the sky, and from them shot forth a lethal torrent of icy spears.

"Lucifer and Leviathan." He smiled, as the spears failed to touch him. "Your predecessors must be proud you bear their titles rather than their egotistical descendants." The smile faded from his face, as he looked down at them with the first serious expression since he had appeared. "Such a shame that this charade must come to an end."

A crimson fist erupted from his chest as Sirzechs, once more wearing the façade of human form, stood behind him. "And so the cycle continues…" He spoked calmly as if uncaring of the gaping wound in his abdomen. His form shimmered for a few seconds, slowly shifting. First was his hair turning to a familiar scarlet, and then his face lost any trace of masculinity to form a heart shaped and beautiful one. Sea green met sea green as her eyes stared in disbelief at the figure that had wounded her, blood pouring from his mouth. "What started as a family feud, with brother turning on brother, will the betrayal never end?"

"Rias?" Sirzechs stammered.

Dozens of magic circles appeared above the two Gremorys, the smallest hovering about 20 feet above them was still several meters in diameter, while the rings that rose above it got progressively larger. The largest one that they could see spanned the entire skyline, and within it were complex rings of formulae, runes and diagrams. Thousands of stars twinkled in the sky as they fell in a shower, forming a pulsating magic sphere above them, gradually growing larger with each fallen star.

Then the ball began to shrink, condensing smaller and smaller as the ring around it grew narrower and narrower. The orb darkened as a malignant presence radiated from it, the winds howled at the pressure, screaming voiced invaded her mind as she felt the sheer wrongness of the magic being performed.

Then all at once the attack was released.

A pillar of raw destruction fell from the Heavens with enough fury to put even an Elder God to shame. As the beam passed through each ring it grew thinner and thinner until it hit the last circle and the entire power of the attack was condensed down to a few feet wide. With speed born from desperation, Sirzechs removed his bloodstained hand from his sister and threw her towards the clubroom, her body being caught Grayfia who skidded back from the force of the throw.

Azazel couldn't help but stop his fight with Katerea in order to marvel at the amount of power that was being generated, in fact it reminded him almost of… Oh no! The Fallen Governor thought hastily. Kicking away the devil he was fighting he sped towards the clubroom. "SHIELDS!" He screamed hoping that everyone would understand. Dozens of barriers sprang to life as he narrowly took cover under a shield Michael cast. A bulge could be seen shooting forth from the large orb in the sky, traversing the path of the beam within seconds, and striking Sirzechs head on.

A deafening boom rattled the area, what glass hadn't been broken now shattering as heat from the attack melted the unprotected stone walls of the school. The barriers that the leaders had erected barely withstood the collateral damage and they were blinded by the impact. When the smoke cleared, the entire landscape had been changed.

There was now a crater dozens of feet deep and so wide that the only thing left standing was half of the building that they were in. Every building on the entire campus had been swallowed up by the attack, and looking above she couldn't help but gulp. Everything above them was gone as well.

"Goodbye Sirzechs Gremory." Hadrian appeared in between them, sitting on the gaudy throne that the Crimson Satan had been sitting on during the peace conference, holding a glass of wine by the stem. "Your time is over, and in the wise words of Hammurabi, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and in this case…a life for a life."

* * *

A shield flared to life in front of him, as he was assailed by a flurry of spears crafted not only from ice but also Light. "It's useless." He warned those who were attacking. "This shield is powered by the intersecting ley lines themselves, and unless you wish to horrifically damage Japan, you'll stop." Seeing the hesitation in their eyes, he continued. "Besides you have more pressing issues to deal with than a single magician." Emerald eyes drifted towards the still crucified figure of the Red Dragon Emperor.

In that moment of distraction another made their move.

"Azazel!" Serafall cried out in warning, however it came too late.

The severed arm of the Fallen Governor flew through the air.

"Even you're betraying me" Azazel mused, shock written on his face, as he clutched the bleeding stump that was his limb, retreating away from his assailant.

"No hard feelings old man." A silver haired beauty said from behind him. "But they offered me a better deal." Her argent haired reached down to her waist, and her figure was unique even among the beauties of the Supernatural World. Possessing a full and athletic figure, bright sapphire eyes stared at the assembled Leaders with a hungry smile that screamed of bloodlust. Flicking her wrist she removed the blood from her sword before sheathing it.

"What was it Vali? Power? Riches? A chance to rule the world? A harem of the finest men and women to do with as you please?" The man had started off seriously but at the end his face had turned lecherous even as he grimaced in pain. Many of those gathered sweat dropped, thinking that it was the latter thing that would lead him astray.

"Your peace." The young woman started. "I want to fight, to prove the strength of the White Dragon Empress Valentia…Valentia Lucifer."

"Lucifer!" Everyone but Azazel could help but stare at her in shock, having never expected to see the Descendent of THE Devil here.

"Correct." 12 bat-like wings extended from her back. "I am a descendent of the Light Bringer, The Morning Star, and Father of Lies. My name is Valentia Anastasia Lucifer and I so swear that the peace you desire will never exist."

"What an over the top character." Azazel grunted. "All the power one would expect from the Descendent of Lucifer combined with the power of a Heavenly Dragon."

The Leaders watched her warily as she stepped closer to the Magician who was watching them all with amusement. "Oh and Azazel. Why would I need a harem of slaves when I have the perfect man right here?" Saying that she took a seat on his lap, as an arm wrapped around her waist and drew her closer. She went willingly, molding herself tightly against him, as she relaxed in his embrace.

"I'm flattered my dear." Hadrian responded, chastely kissing her. "We'll have time for more later." He whispered.

"Promises, promises." She commented seductively. "However it seems you broke one of the ones you made. You promised to leave the Red Dragon Emperor to me."

"And I shall." Snapping his fingers the chains binding the boy broke and he fell from the cross. Before he could plummet to his death or spread his wings another force seized him, keeping him suspended in the air. A green glow surrounded his smoking body as the horrific wounds caused by the Holy Cross began to heal.

"That's-" Michael stared slack jaw.

"Twilight Healing, yes. Or at least a modified version of it. Dearest, please remind me to leave a fruit basket or something at the altar of the next Church we visit." He said speaking to the woman in his lap. "It was quite nice of the Biblical God to leave a how to guide for the Sacred Gear System."

Within moments the boy was fully healed, even though he was held there, his head slumped over, a bit of drool leaking from his mouth. "Well physically he's fine." Hadrian commented, disappointedly. "As for his mental state…well even in his original condition there was much left to be desired."

"Just leave it to me." Valentia said getting off his lap and taking to the skies. "Try not to tire yourself out, playing with the small fry." She taunted. "After all what I have planned for later will require all your stamina."

"Says the one who always passes out first." He teased, seeing the faint blush on her alabaster cheeks. Her form was covered by white armor as she entered Balance Breaker. "Release him." She commanded her voice brooking no argument. Seizing her rival by the throat she held him aloft.

"Don't interfere." He warned the Leaders, snapping another barrier around them, trapping everything within its confines. "And as for you." Emerald eyes drifted to a darkened corner of the room, right before several spears of light impacted the floor, and drew a circle around the impact points. He stared in distaste at the revealed figure of Katerea Leviathan, having snuck behind Serafall with a dagger drawn. "If you so much as twitch, that circle will shrink, crushing you within its confines. Oh and don't bother trying to break out of it, that binding circle was created to deal with things a lot nastier than you." Getting out pf his chair, he moved until he was face to face with the devilish woman. "You're a disgrace to the name Leviathan, barely possessing a tenth of your ancestor's power and control. Wanting of his cunning and guile, it's no wonder your parents cast you aside, crying not when you killed them…but that a reject like you were to inherit their prodigious name.

Any retort she might've had was cutoff as a large shockwave rocked the building. Shrapnel and debris bounced off the shield as several of Sona's peerage reflexively dove out of the way or fell to the floor.

He winced as a body crashed into the shield which shimmered into existence as it attempted to dissipate the force. The still catatonic form of the Red Dragon Emperor slid down the now visible barrier. "This is pathetic." Vali said disappointedly. "Hey Harry, can you do anything about this?"

Humming to himself, he took another sip from the goblet of wine. "Hmmm, maybe." He drawled, tilting his head slightly. The same array that had been hanging over their heads adjusted, the amount of circles decreasing as well as narrowing, while shifting so it aimed away from them. An image of Kuoh city appeared in the sky as several dozen circles appeared over it, identical to the ones that had struck down the Crimson Satan. "Maybe laying waste to everyone and everything he's ever known will work."

A defiant light appeared in the previously unresponsive boy's eyes. "But then maybe it won't." A flash of light so bright it blinded them shot forth from the array, striking the heart of the city. Blinking away the stars in their eyes she couldn't help the dread welling up within her as she viewed what had been her home. Gone was the city with millions of people living there, students whom she'd sworn to protect, people she'd known for a long time. The entire city had been cleansed from the face of the earth, and in its place and in its place was a verdant landscape.

"You monster." Sona said, the horror at what she saw shattering her normally stoic composure.

"Ironic coming from a devil." He remarked.

"Even we have standards." Sona countered.

"Oh really?" He sneered. "You think what I just did even compares to the blood that your sister has spilled? Your kind is responsible for most of the evils plaguing the world. I've seen pure and innocent people tempted by the stain that is your kin. Priests fallen to depraved sin, family turning on one another as fathers raped daughter before killing them and sacrificing them and their unborn child to forge a pact with a devil. Mothers raping sons, offering their own child as well as their tainted wombs to birth hell spawns. Their perversion damning them to the deepest pits of Hell, their sins staining their once pure souls black, sentencing them to an eternity away from his Light. And for what?"

He glared at the assembled devils, power bursting from his form, eclipsing that of even Serafall who attempted to shield her family. "All to taste the forbidden fruits your king offers. Carnal pleasures, euphoria and bliss unimaginable to mortal minds. Power and influence to affect the masses letting them twist and corrupt others to the same depravity." He turned now to Azazel and Michael. "And you. You were meant to safeguard us. To protect us from the evils of the world, to smite down the foes that would threaten harm upon God's Children. You, Michael, cower behind Heaven's walls playing God. The armies of Heaven have grown fat and lazy as they sit back and watch humanity struggle. Devils poaching and taking the very best that we have to offer, bringing the wielders of God's Treasures into their service. Shame on you Michael, every action you've taken has done nothing but trample upon God's dream, and you spit on the Almighty himself, daring to try and make peace with this filth."

Michael turned, his normally melancholy expression further deepening as he refused to meet the eyes of his accuser. "And Azazel, Governor of the Fallen." You could feel the sarcasm in his words at the title. "It's ironic that out of all the people it's those who have Fallen from grace that carry out their Father's work, as they seek to redeem themselves in his eyes. Yours is the most fractured faction as there exists those who wish to return to their Father and those who wish to embrace the depravity of the Devils. Do you remember what Penemue and Kokabiel said when they Fell? Where you cursed your Father and indulged in carnal pleasures, they stayed true. What was it they said Azazel?!"

Hanging his head low, the Governor of the Fallen softly said. "We who live in the shadows do so to serve your Light. We the damned children forsake salvation, our lives the currency to buy forgiveness for our brothers and sisters."

"Kokabiel had the right idea, the Three Factions no longer have the right to exist." He sneered. Looking back at Sona he met her gaze with his own steely one, as she took a step back, flinching at the sheer intensity in those emerald orbs. "You may call me a monster, asking by what right do I have to kill millions as I just did. However, those who understand know that they have no right to let them live."

A crimson fist was stopped inches from his head, as a pearl white hand gripped its counterpart by the wrist. "That did it." Vali smiled dangerously. Tears poured from the boy's eyes as he struggled in her grip. Savagely she drove her plated fist into his unarmored torso, breaking ribs and bruising organs as the force of the attack launched him into the air.

"What a shame he must've been." Hadrian said, lashing out as he brought forth the doubts he had about himself. "A failure as a son, a pervert of the highest echelon. How embarrassing it must've been for his family, constantly making excuses for his behavior. Nothing more than a blight on society, a loathful existence that even your parents could barely tolerate."

[BALANCE BREAKER]

Crimson plates appeared armoring his form. While similar to Vali's it bore several key differences namely style and ornamentation. Where Vali's was thinner and built for speed and agility, his armor was thick and heavy, with brutal spikes and flanges. Because it was heavy as well as being the first time he was using it he was slow, the heavy and cumbersome plates allowing for Vali to dance around him, drawing blood with every attack.

[BOOST]

[DIVIDE]

For the briefest moment the boy's power doubled, his speed increasing ever so slightly. Nevertheless, just as quickly it was halved, his meager speed dropping even lower as the boost rapidly consumed stamina. "Zero doubled is still zero." Vali taunted.

[BLADE]

He had to smirk, imagining Vali's eyes widening as a 2-foot long blade of Divinely forged steel appeared mid-punch from her rival's gauntlet. One day her over confidence would be her downfall, but hopefully he would be able to break her of her habit of underestimating her opponents before it became a fatal mistake. The attack struck her, her enhanced reflexes allowing for the blade to scratch her armor but not pierce it. Reflexively she backhanded her foe and he couldn't help but wince as she almost turned his head a full 180 degrees, sending him flying once more.

Gingerly she touched the scratch on her armor, her helmet retracting to show her annoyed expression. "It seems I've grown overconfident." She mused.

"Maybe you should stop playing with him." Hadrian suggested from where he was sitting, calmly sipping on his goblet of wine. "That way we can go home and relax."

"A little deeper and that attack would have gotten through my armor, though it's definitely not the worse wound I've ever suffered." A surge of power and her armor restored itself. "And you're right; a massage sounds heavenly right now, but I'm still bored. I wonder…what would it take for him to activate his Juggernaut Drive? We already killed his family, maybe killing his King would cause him to go berserk?"

"No…for a pervert like him I know exactly what to do." Hadrian smirked holding out his hand. The barely healing form of Rias flew from her sister-in-law's tender care and into his hand. "Hey Red Dragon Emperor, look here."

The boy was barely able to wobbly into the air, his entire body in pain from Vali's hits, but even with a stiff neck he was able to shift himself to see his King in the merciless hands of the maniac who had nonchalantly wiped out a town.

Rias Gremory, the woman who saved his life. The woman who encouraged his dream, and was there to help him. They had fought together through thick and thin, yet here he was powerless to do anything to help her. a feeling of hopelessness welled up within him, not even before the might of Kokabiel had he felt such despair. Everything that the Magician had said earlier had struck home, unburying fears that he had secretly hidden within himself.

"I've heard rumors that you treasure your master's bust over everything. To you there is no greater thing than oppai."

"I feel disgusted just knowing that there's a bigger pervert out there than Odin and Azazel." Vali shivered.

He shot her a reassuring smile, as he continued. "I wonder what would happen if she lost a cup size." Glancing at the woman in his grasp he amended his statement. "Or all of it."

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" The Red Dragon spat the words with a hateful glare, as power flooded his body.

"I see Azazel completed the balance breaker bracelet." Hadrian commented noticing the disintegrating bracelet on his wrist. "But with you having activated it earlier to fight Vali, you have no power left." The power that had been flooding through him suddenly stopped, as he coughed up blood. His body unable to handle the strain of activating even an incomplete form of Balance Breaker.

Staring at the bracelet for a few more seconds, he got up from his chair and took to the sky. Pointing with a single finger, a small magic circle appeared at the tip shooting forth a bolt of lightning. With his depleted reserves, Issei had no chance of dodging, and fell to the earth, his body convulsing from the electrical attack. "You have no right to be at our level. Embrace reality as nothing but a lowly worm, doomed to be crushed under the heel of greater beings."

"Now that you've had your fun." He trailed off looking at his lover who nodded. "I think it's time for the final act to begin."

"The final act?" Azazel asked warily, aware of the fact that for the moment he and his fellow leaders were still at the mercy of this magician.

"Yes, you see Kokabiel had the right ideas but acted foolishly." A sound like breaking glass was heard overhead as a man clad in Chinese armor appeared floating down on a golden cloud. "After all why go to such lengths to destroy your enemies when there are easier methods out there?"

"Hey Boss." The man greeted with a smile.

"Bikou." Vali nodded turning to her lover with a questioning look, wondering why a member of her team was here.

"He's been banging away at the barrier for the past ten minutes, I figured it must be important if he kept it up that long."

"Old Harry's right." Bikou laughed, hiding the shudder that came about from the dark look Hadrian was shooting him.

"What have you come for?" Vali said pointedly, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"Aww. Isn't that a bit too cruel?" Bikou said placing his hand over his heart, his face contorted in mock indignation. "I mean, I made such a long journey to this remote island and had to force my way through a barrier that could stop a God all to help out my boss. The other guys were making such a fuss, you know. Wondering where the White Dragon Empress was, if she chickened out of joining them to fight the Elder Gods."

He couldn't help but smile at the look of outrage on his beautiful lover's face, as he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The opinions of sheep matter little to wolves." He gently chided.

"Oh by the way Magic Man." Bikou laughed at the annoyed look the Magician shot him. "Your lovely apprentice was quite peeved to find out that you had left without her. I believe the words castration and rusty spoon were used, when her brother suggested that you needed some time to yourself."

"I…see." Hadrian said slowly. "Well then it's best that we wrap this little show up."

"To think that even the descendent of the legendary Victorious Fighting Buddha would join our enemies." Azazel said darkly.

Bikou turned, as if noticing for the first time the assembled leaders. "So this is where you guys have been." He muttered, before smiling brightly. "Nice to meetcha Abrahamic Leaders. I'm Bikou descendent of Sun Wukong, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, but unlike that old man I like doing things my way." Spinning the bang in his hands, a replica of his predecessors Ruyi Jingu Bang, a golden bubble formed around him and Vali. "I'm sure you can find your own way home." The Monkey descendent nodded towards the legendary Magician.

"Of course." Hadrian scoffed, and with a crack like lightning, the golden bubble rapidly accelerated, escaping from the assembled leaders with ease. Turning towards the crater he had made for a few moments, he addressed the assembled leaders. "Now for you, oh so mighty leaders of the Biblical Faction. Azazel, Governor of the Fallen. Michael, Leader of the Angels. And Sirzechs Gremory. Your time is over." He announced, power pulsing from his body, the very space around him warping in response. "Let the War begin."

With that declaration he vanished.


	2. Dominion of Angels

Chapter 2

Author's Note: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy New Years! This chapter has been in the works for a long time, as I faced numerous delays due to working on my Capstone Project. However I'm happy to say that I will be resuming regular monthly updates on this as well as Highschool DxD Star Shooter and Death in Halkeginia. Stay tuned as I've been on a Code Geass binge lately and I feel a possible story coming out soon.

* * *

With the Magician powering it gone, the barriers surrounding the room, trapping them within its confines, disappeared. However even with it gone no one moved, their minds still trying to process what they had seen. Mechanically they sent out pulses of magic, trying to understand the situation that they had found themselves in.

The angels, both of the Heavenly Host and the Fallen, had fared much better than their Infernal counterparts, and even in the presence of Sirzechs' released form, the Light flowing through them had protected them against the worst effects. In addition they had been stationed at the perimeter, and only fought Magicians who had not been aiming to kill.

Michael and Azazel sighed in relief, and though they would never acknowledge it they were both happy that the majority of their forces would be able to walk away from this unscathed and those that had suffered grievous wounds had been stabilized by their comrades.

Better the more populous Devils suffer than them.

For Serafall Leviathan the picture was bleak.

The Devils, who had been guarding the outer complex had all been turned to ash, their bodies sucked dry of all their energy, for what purpose they did not know, but the results spoke for themselves. Of the hundreds strong force that they had brought, the majority of which were made up of both her and Sirzechs' Elite Honor Guard, not even 50 remained, and that included both her sister's and Rias' peerages.

Tentatively they left the remains of the meeting room, wary for any traps that the Magician might have left behind to hinder them. To their surprise, they found none. _Though with his strength there's no need for him to use a surprise attack._ Azazel thought ruefully. Once it was deemed safe Grayfia was the first one from the room, heading straight for the crater where her husband had been struck down.

"Lord Michael!" A contingent of Angels came flying towards them. "Thank Father that you're safe."

"And you as well" Michael smiled. "What's the situation?"

"The Magicians are fleeing through portals, and the majority of our forces are engaged with their rearguard. Skirmishes have broken out as our scouts encounter detached units, but we are gradually pushing them back with the help of the Fallen. Several groups have reported injuries however there have been no fatalities reported for either side."

"Good." Michael said nodding along. "Good job, continue securing the perimeter, and designate an area to treat any of the wounded. Have you been able to contact Heaven?"

The angel shook his head. "We're still trapped within this pocket dimension by the Magician's magic. All attempts at communication with the outside world have failed, not even the Fallen have managed to pierce the wards surrounding us."

"I see." Michael said sorrowfully, turning his gaze to the severed arm of his former brother, Azazel. The Governor had refused anything more than the minimum treatment, which did nothing more than cauterize the wound to prevent him from bleeding out. The Fallen had poured all his remaining strength into the barriers protecting them, barriers that the enemy mage had crushed with ease.

Hadrian Ambrosius. The Descendent of the Legendary Magician.

His power had upset the trap so carefully laid by them. They had expected an attack, after all there were dozens of vocal dissenters to the peace that they had been trying to make, and for every screaming voice there was a snake in the grass waiting to strike.

And strike they did.

What they hadn't expected was the overwhelming force brought against them, and in their arrogance they had thought that the combined might of 2 Satans, the Governor of the Fallen Angels, A Seraph, as well as the 2 Heavenly Dragons would've been enough to turn the tide against even the strongest of foes.

They were wrong.

Their trap to demolish the Old Satan Faction had failed.

Many had lost their lives, and the leadership of the Devils was in tatters.

Sighing to himself, sending a prayer of forgiveness to his Father for the blood that would need to be spilled to combat the latest threat he felt a pang of anger flow through him. He flinched at the feeling, wondering where it had come from.

The righteousness and divinity that had accompanied it made him think of the System. The Marvelous Creation of God that enforced his will upon the Angels and brought Order to the Chaos. Even now after His Death the System was still working albeit barely. That anger worried him, as the System contained within it a fragment of his Father's Will.

Was he right in seeking peace?

The accusations of the Magician still rang in his ears, the accusing stare, the sense of sadness in the man's eyes as he confronted the Seraph. Most surprising of all was the disappointment directed at him, and Azazel.

Even though he did not know the boy, he could not help but wilt under the gaze, as if he were standing contritely before his Father's Throne, feeling once more like a guilty child under his stern Father's gaze.

However, they had no choice, with the loss of his Father the arduous task of protecting his brothers and sisters, all of The Mortals on Earth and the souls that resided in Heaven fell to him.

Was it so wrong that he would embrace his former enemy in order to protect that which he held dear? To embrace the hated enemy of his Father in order to protect the masses that prayed to him daily. While he would love to save everyone, it was impossible. Everyday more and more people fell prey to the machinations of the Devils but for every one that fell a thousand more would pray to his father. It was his sworn duty to protect those unable to protect themselves and he did the best he could with what he had.

He had to make sacrifices in order to protect those that he could.

As the thought passed through his mind he could not help but shiver in disgust. When did he become so Machiavellian weighing the worth of one person's soul against another? Turning his gaze to the sky, he sighed forlornly, wishing once more than his Father still lived. He remembered the time as a boy when he would sit by his Father's side and ask him questions, questions he always knew the answer to. The question did not matter, the complexity nor the uniqueness of it; his Father always knew the answer.

His Father would know what to do.

For now he knew his duty, to protect those that he could, shelter the broken, and guide those fallen in battle to their eternal reward. With a steely gaze he took command of the situation, a battlefield was no place to be distracted, there would be time to mourn and contemplate his decisions later. In an instant Michael the Archangel, General of the Armies of Heaven, and Bane of Devils everywhere took over. "Keep working on the communications. Try to reach the Underworld, the Shinto or even the Norse, if we cannot communicate with Heaven directly, maybe we can use another realm as an intermediary."

"I have my men doing the same." Azazel said descending to his side. "It could be worse. My casualties were light when compared to the Devils."

"They're almost nonexistent to the death toll that the Devils suffered. We at least have a resistance to the power of Light and Holy attacks." Michael commented. He did not miss the narrowing of the former Angels eyes, at the almost disrespectful tone when speaking of the dead.

"You know if I didn't know better, I would almost think that you had a hand in this. The Devils almost wiped out, the Fallen weakened, yet the Angels are still perfectly fine, your reserves have yet to sortie whilst ours are exhausted. Now would be a perfect time to have your forces swoop in and eliminate all the other Factions." Azazel said narrowing his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous." Michael countered. "Our goal here was peace, not for me to restart a war that we could've won."

"Maybe in your dreams." Azazel snorted.

"God's Fury." Michael said simply, smirking at the dumbstruck expression on Azazel's face.

"It still works?!" The Cadre said shivering at the memories of the ancient weapon that their Father had created. He was their the first time it was fired, how it had been used to strike a decisive blow against the Underworld, a blow that they still had yet to recover from. The attack had killed over 1/3 of the Devils at the time from the initial blast, and the aftereffects had spread like radiation, poisoning water and land, converting the natural magics that resided in the area into a Holy one. Water burned as if blessed by the strongest of Seraphs, the air filled with Holy Incense scorching a Devil's skin while burning out their lungs, and just touching the ground itself blistered and burned as if they had touched the True Cross itself. Ironically the Holy Light that had been used to cleanse the Devil Filth had created an unassailable safe haven for the Fallen, and now served as the Headquarters of the Grigori.

Those that feared only the Darkness knew not what the Light could do, and God's Fury was the eye opener.

"Yes." Michael answered, his tone saying that he would say no more on the matter.

"Where do we go from here?" Azazel asked. "I'm all for peace, especially in the face of this new terrorist group."

Glancing around and seeing the numerous people still around them, Michael wordlessly raised a barrier around himself and his Fallen Brother. Azazel raised a brow inquisitively, "Am I doing the right thing?"

Turning to his Brother, Azazel could not help but look at the downcast expression, the slumped shoulders as he was forced to bear the weight of the world, millions of wishes constantly assaulting his very being. "I don't know." Azazel answered glumly. "All those years ago when we stood side by side, smiting the enemies of Father, driving the Devils back to Hell, and watching over the Sons and Daughters of Man, those were simpler days; we knew where we stood and what to do, now…the world isn't so black and white."

"Back then we were so confident, so devout; to us Father could do no wrong." Michael said sadly.

"Was it wrong that we loved humans?" Azazel countered. "I remember the day that Adam and Lilith were created, the day that Lucifer refused to bend his knee to the greatest of Father's children. It was not you, or me, or Gabriel that was Father's favorite, it was Lucifer, and yet without hesitation Father smote the Morning Star, and threw him and his followers into Hell. How could Father not see that we would be curious about his latest creations? He assigned us to watch over them, and it was only a matter of time until we fell in love with them. When we fell in love we gained a desire to protect them, we shared with them the knowledge of how to protect themselves. We taught them how to make fire, to create weapons and craft tools. Penemue taught them to read and write, I taught them the arts of metallurgy-"

"And was responsible for the first wars." Michael interjected. "It's not the fact that you gave them the knowledge that Father objected, it was the fact that they didn't discover it naturally. They had all this knowledge but no wisdom to use it properly, and as such were perfect targets for Lucifer's machinations. I remember those days well, brother turning on brother, fathers killing sons, the raping and pillaging. Thousands crying out for salvation while a thousand more praised our Father while spilling the blood of innocents."

"And for that we were censured." Azazel defended. "Forced to watch as Father washed away all of our deeds, our children killed with Floods, and Plagues, and Sword and Spear. How many of us fell that day when we took up arms to defend our young? You speak of Brother turning on Brother, well let me ask you Michael." Azazel said harshly. "How many did you kill? How many of your friends died cursing you as you smote them from existence? How many screamed and begged for forgiveness as you bound them in shackles and threw them from the Palace of Heaven? As others were sealed in the Second Heaven to be punished by you and your ilk personally?"

"YOU BROKE FATHER'S DECREES!" Michael all but roared, his golden wings flaring behind him, radiating the majestic power inherent in only an Archangel. "BROKE HADRANIEL'S HEART AND DARED TO PARADE YOUR CHILDREN IN FRONT OF HER. THE NEPHILIM WERE NOTHING MORE THAN ABOMINATIONS NEVER MEANT TO EXIST!"

Rather than being intimidated, Azazel responded, 12 wings of darkest black whooshing to life as they radiated tainted light. "And there's the Michael I remember. The loyal dog of Father, the obedient son, always pining for God's favor. Tell me on the dark and cold night, when you look at yourself in the mirror do you hear Father's praises? Or do you hear their screams?"

For a moment it looked like they were about to come to blows, and even though they were not able to hear exactly what their leaders were saying, both sides readied themselves for battle once more. Golden weapons were birthed by the Angels as corrupted light dyed in every hue of the rainbow were summoned by their Fallen brethren. "There was a time when you were the same." Michael pointed out. "I remember when you and Kokabiel razed the Tower of Babel, how Penemue tore through Sodom and Gomorrah with zealous fury, singing praises to Father whilst bathing in the blood of his enemies." Forcibly reigning in his power he sighed and upon seeing their leader lower his weapon the Angelic Army did the same.

"What happened?" Michael asked softly. "What did you see that you were willing to abandon Heaven, Paradise, to turn your back on Father's Love?"

Azazel slowly lowered his own weapon, his face pensive and pained. "Love and Lust." He started slowly. "Even at the best of times, it's hard to differentiate between the two. For a being that only knew and loved one person, it is easy to get confused. What I thought was love turned to lust, and what started as a small seed slowly grew and corrupted. You don't know what it's like Michael." He smiled rapturously, madness and sin in his eyes. Once upon a time the Fallen had been prone to committing depravities and debauchery that could put even the old Devils to shame, and it was only after the Death of their Father did they begin to reign in their bacchanalian tendencies. "The thrill and power that comes with committing your first sin. First I was distraught, crying and begging, hoping that Father either wouldn't find out."

Michael barely suppressed an uncharacteristic snort. _How could you possibly hide something from a God with the power of omnipresence and omniscience?_

"I never felt as low as I did in that moment and nothing I could think of was able to get me out of my depression. And in my weakness I committed another sin, allowing the flesh of a filthy animal to touch my lips."

"You mean?"

"Bacon, delicious and succulent pig, fried and salted to perfection."

If anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation they were sure to be stunned, but it had been their Father's decree that the flesh of swine and the unclean was never to be partaken by his faithful. "Not the most serious of sins I know, but it's the fact that I did it. The first time is always the hardest, but after that…it becomes easier." Azazel stared at the crimson sky, a side effect of the spatial magics that were being used. "I did horrible things with my time here watching over humanity. Once that first sin had been committed, its influence began to spread through me, things that I would never have done before I began to do. Gluttony, Lust, and Envy were my sins, and I reveled in the freedom that they brought me."

"Freedom is nothing more than an illusion." Michael countered. "Every foul deed that you committed was just another link, another weight round your neck, and you were a fool to think that there would not be a reckoning when Father called for you. Indulgence after indulgence, sin after sin, and your once pristine wings now filthy as you reveled in your depravity. What choice did Father have but to cast you from Heaven's splendor?"

"Your greatest crime was not falling to sin, but dragging the rest of the Grigori down with you. When Lucifer Fell he took with him a third of the Angels of Heaven, and with your decadence another third fell to temptation." Michael declared, turning once more to his Fallen brother. "It is for that reason, the damning of so many Stars of Heaven that you are one of only two beings never offered forgiveness. That is why I feel a weight round my neck, your very presence tarnishing the Holy Light that resides within every Angel. Your corrupt acclaim is sickly and repulsive, that is why, Dear Brother, I fought you, and why every instinct within me is screaming to strike you down before you can corrupt any others."

"Then why don't you?" Azazel challenged. "That is if you think that you have the strength for it."

"Because Brother, no matter what Father said, I still believe that there is still a sliver of good within you. That same sliver that prevented you from committing foul acts against the Angels of Heaven, what made us join together against the Devils in every battle."

Azazel snorted in amusement. "Don't let Raphael here you saying things like that, he'll still thinking that you've gone soft. In fact, did you and Gabriel switch positions? She's supposed to be the merciful one of the family, and yet here you are preaching forgiveness to me."

"I'm sorry to say that Gabriel has very little mercy towards those that try to spy on her while she's bathing." Michael deadpanned, his response lightning the serious mood that surrounded them.

The Fallen Governor barely held back a chuckle. "5 more seconds and I would've gotten to see Heaven's greatest treasure, but those blasted cherubim ratted me out just as the towel was about to drop." The two brothers shook their heads in disbelief. "Anyways I didn't realize that Angels could hold grudges. Doesn't that whole anger thing lead you to Falling?"

"You should know that what causes us to Fall is acting against the Will of Father. If an Angel fell every time they felt strong emotions, there would be very few of us left. We may be soldiers of God rather than the messengers the Bible portrays us as, but we aren't unfeeling automatons."

Both were silent, digesting their conversation, until finally Azazel broke the silence. "Can I trust you?"

"More than you can trust The Devils." Michael replied without hesitation.

"They are nothing but allies of convenience, a tool to guarantee the Survival of Angels."

Mulling it over for a moment, Michael extended his hand. Azazel stared at it before grasping the appendage firmly. "To the Dominion of Angels."

"To mending bridges." Azazel replied. He would never admit it to Michael but there were many within his faction that had tasted sin and Fell because of it, only to wish to return and confess their sins. Second Generation angels, born from their Fallen parents were cursed with Blackened wings just for the sin of being born. They grew up on the stories of the splendor of Heaven, of the endless horizon and beautiful cities, only to realize that they would never enter paradise. Many dedicated themselves to asking for forgiveness, taking on the role of Angels of Mercy in an attempt to show their dedication to Heaven's teaching, while others embraced their Fallen status. They saw their darkened wings as being the sign that they were chosen by God to do that which his other angels could not.

Angels cannot kill humans.

That was the first and greatest of the commandments God gave to the legions of Heavens, and breaking it would lead to a fate worse than Death. However, for the Fallen, devoid of their Father's Light, Death would have been preferable. So they embraced their cursed fate becoming the Wardens of Humanity, dealing our punishment as Angels of Vengeance and Retribution, daring to dirty their already stained hands so that others would be able to live in peace. Assassination, poisoning, manipulation, and abject cruelty were the tools of their trade, anything and everything was permitted so long as it completed their missions. At the sound of their terrible voices, armies broke and fled. To those who dared question their Lord's commandments, the light of a million spears fell upon their cities, and to those who dared to even peak into the Ark ruin befell their people.

Maybe just maybe, with the union between the two factions of Angels, they would be granted a chance to wander the gilded street of Heaven, to gaze upon the wondrous Throne of Heaven, and to feel their lingering Father's presence. For those who Fell during the war it was a chance, no matter how miniscule that they were willing to take.

"Now then." Azazel said heartily, attempting to clap his hands only to realize he was still short an arm. "Well that doesn't work anymore." He mused before shrugging his shoulders. "With all that terrible business behind us, let's move towards the future. Our medical facilities are ready and willing to take in any wounded that you might have."

"At this moment the Gates of Heaven are barred to everyone but angels and human souls, but everything that we have on hand will be dedicated towards the recovery and healing of your people." Michael explained. "Raphael and The Virtues of the Second Sphere Fifth Order have been complaining about how their abilities have gone unused in a long time."

Nodding his thanks, he gestured towards the barrier surrounding them, prompting Michael to lower it.

"Do you have anything to share with the rest of us?" Serafall asked with narrowed eyes as she stared at the Angels. Gone was the playful and childish woman that Sona had associated her sister with, an in her place stood the Leviathan, a monster that had carved a bloody swath through the annals of history, cementing its place as one of the greatest enemies of man and God.

"Just some logistical necessities." Azazel lied smoothly.

The Leviathan did not look like she believed them for a second, but before she could push the issue a commotion drew all their attention. What remained of the Devil's honor guard began rushing towards the center of the crater, streams of curses and threats spurring them to fly faster. A glowing blue circle appeared next to Serafall, as she listened to the voice on the other end, her eyes gradually widening, until with a determined look she kicked off the ground and dove towards the crater, opening her wings at the last moment to slow her descent. The remaining two faction leaders glanced at one another before following the female Satan into the crater.

There they saw a sight that left them dumbstruck.

Sirzechs' broken body. Alive!

"He's still breathing!" One of the devils screamed, applying magic in an attempt to stabilize their defeated leader. "Does anyone have phoenix tears?!"

"How?" Azazel asked dumbstruck. "How can he still be alive? And more amazingly in one piece?"

To the two Angels, both of whom had seen the Fury of God, had watched as 1/3 of the Devils entire population had been killed and the seas of the Underworld vaporized, it was surreal.

"Ruin of the Extinct must've dispersed the attack." Michael commented, his voice laced with disbelief. Neither one of the Sons of God believed it, after all their Father's opening move still had visible repercussions to this day, dealing a blow that his enemies would never recover from. _Or our enemy meant for Sirzechs survival._ Michael thought grimly. They would have to be warier in the future, the enemy's capabilities were still unknown and his potential devastating.

"BE CAREFUL MOVING THAT!" One of the remaining devils screamed, chastising his underlings as they moved some of the rubble. "WE DON'T KNOW HOW STABLE THIS AREA IS!"

As if to punctuate his words, a tremor shook the crater, causing all the devils to freeze in fear. "Move." The lead devil whispered making eye contact with all the others gathered. "By Lucifer's Rotting Corpse Go! GO! Go!" Moving as quickly as they could the gathered devils began throwing the rubble off their fallen leader as the ground began to shake.

"We need to move!" Azazel yelled his gaze turned towards the sky. The cracks that had formed earlier during the titanic struggle between Sirzechs and Ambrosius were more than enough to upset the delicate balance required to seal the area away from prying eyes. The sealed dimension was beginning to crumble with them in it, and he had no wish to find out what would happen should they still be within when it rejoined the dimensional gap.

Already he could see pieces of the sky falling, specks of the real world beginning to bleed through as the spell began to rapidly unravel. "Michael, Serafall!" He called to his fellow leaders, "Continuity Contingency."

They both nodded as they began to direct their remaining forces towards escape points. The only benefit of the collapsing realm was that the communications blackout they had been experiencing failed and they were finally able to communicate with the outside world. The bad news? Every single communication line lit up like a Christmas tree as dozens of operators began squawking all at once.

Through the chaotic din they were able to pick up snippets of different conversations going on, each report filling them with more and more anxiety.

"We need to get out of here." Michael said grimly, flaring his prodigious powers for the first time in millennia, summoning spears of light. Thousands of golden spears blotted out the crumbling horizon, each baring the magnificent radiance and holiness of God. This was the power of a Seraph, the strongest of God's Soldiers and the mightiest of Heaven's children. To those that had fought in the war they were death incarnate, their sheer power enough to completely erase any mid-class devil that dared look upon their celestial forms. In the wake of the first Armistice, their powers had been forgotten, written off as myth as Devils tried to justify and exaggerate their own importance.

The World may have forgotten them, but Michael reminded them.

In a moment he reminded those gathered exactly why it was that He led the Armies of God, that he was God's treasured General and the only Angel that Lucifer never faced alone. Why only God himself could command him and entire civilizations trembled at his decrees. As his hand rose the light of a thousand thousand stars ascended smashing into the dimensional walls surrounding them.

"Go." A command, his voice filled with Divine Might that had the gathered devils fleeing in instinctual fear. Even Serafall for all her own power shuddered at the tone, summoning her own magic as she didn't bother individually teleporting everyone, but rather encased the entire area in a dome of ice that teleported them before shattering into a million crystalline fragments. "Azazel."

The Fallen Governor nodded once before he and the entire contingent of Fallen Angels vanished in a whoosh of blackened feathers. "To me, sons and daughters of the Almighty God." Angels clad in immaculate robed and armored with the finest trappings of Heaven flew to his side. Looking over their grim faces he nodded to them, offering his thanks that each would be returning with him. Too many times had he lost Brothers and Sisters to war, and he was just thankful that he would not be burying any today. With nary a thought he engulfed each one of them in a field, teleporting them from the ruined battlefield to the steps of the First Heaven.

In their wake a crumbling ruined landscape, desolate and devoid of life, a portent of future battles.


	3. A Castle atop the Clouds

Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is a short interlude chapter that is key to future events. Next chapter is already 1k words written. Please review as I need your feedback on what I can be doing better and to know what you do and don't like.

* * *

 _Beautiful._

Those were his first thoughts as he heard the gentle singing of the woman in front of him. No matter how many times he had heard it before, the voice of the Angel before him never could grow stale.

He remembers the first time that he had ever heard her sing, her voice comforting him in his darkest moments, a wondrous sound that filled him with hope and vigor.

Approaching the altar where she gently tended to the fires, he could not help but be awestruck by the gentle and confidant demeanor that she exuded. A peerless beauty capable of making even the most capricious of goddesses envious, her long blonde hair shone with the radiance of the sun and was the same shade as honey. Her voluptuous figure was as close to perfection as he had ever seen, as eyes the color of the azure sky stared at him with happiness. Her face though was marred by a fake smile, and once more he felt his heart break at the sight before him. His entire being cried out for him to please her, to bring her happiness no matter the cost.

She was his rock.

The calm eye in the center of the storm, the safety of the port, and the wreckage a drowning man clings to for safety.

She was all that and more.

Slowly approaching her, the leather clad wood of his heels muffling the sound to a slight clack, clack. With a flourish he removed the heavy woolen outer cloak that he wore, settling it in his arms before hanging it on a peg to the side. Rather than approach her directly he began to walk the perimeter of the vestibule, his fingers lightly tracing the golden filigree that was inlayed into the wall, depicting a romanticized scene of Eden. Dexterous digits lingered on the Tree of knowledge, his fingers running over the depiction of the snake. Jeweled eyes stared at him malevolently, and if he closed his eyes he could imagine the venom dripping from those sharp fangs, as honeyed words rolled off its serpentine tongue. What had they been thinking?

What silver words and plaudits could it have spoken that made the first humans dare to disobey their Creator, their God, and their Benevolent Father?

And when their eyes were opened to the truth of the World, that their instigator was none other than the malevolent foe of their Lord, that their very actions had doomed them to a mortal life, devoid of His Light.

"He was once the brightest of all the stars in Heaven." The woman said striding towards him. "Father's favorite son, his most treasured child. His crime was that he refused to bend his knee to any but his Father, after all how could you ever compare? The Lord, my Father, was perfect, an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent being responsible for creating everything you see before you." She spread her arms wide, emphasizing her point, "every stone, every animal, every single soul answers to him. Yet Father expected us to bend our knee to you." Taking his hand she led him to another painting, depicting a triumphant angel at the head of a mighty Host. "Look at him, arrogant and proud, so secure in his own invincibility that he refused the advice of his equals." Rich sable tresses framed an aristocratic face, one that could only be described as perfection, as he raised his lance up high, flames surrounding the weapon as it was poised to deliver a killing blow to his foe. Like Michael he wore armor, a polished golden breastplate that shone with the radiance of the sun, greaves and bracers of the same divinely forged metal, each inscribed with wards of protection and litanies of devotion. Adorning his head was a Halo, the symbol of his fidelity to his Father, and behind him 12 wings of pure gold, rays of Holy Light radiating from them so brightly that even in a picture he was forced to squint lest he be blinded.

"I don't recognize this." He said reverently. He could feel the emotion that the painter had imbued into the painting, the sadness with every brush stroke as they outlined every face. No one angel was the same, just as none of God's Creations are the same. Each one had their own personalities, their own feelings, and emotions, yet to look upon those faces in war, to see their hands stained with the black blood of their enemy as they smote them with righteous devotion, it was easy to miss the underlying feelings. They were depicted as triumphant victors, but a single brush stroke highlighted their weariness. Clenched jaws, hands gripping lances tightly as they stabbed them into the backs of their foe, eyes full of anger and dare he say it? Hate. His hands longed to touch the painting, faces depicted so realistically that it was if they were right there in front of him and he longed to comfort them.

"I would be surprised if you did." She responded. "My father had all traces of this battle destroyed, and had most depictions of my brother were lost with time." Taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it comfortingly. "This is the Last battle between the Darkness and the Light. Shortly after my sister, the first of God's Angels, Celeste battled the nameless Void and vanished at the end. I painted this as a reminder of that day, of the stories that my Father told, of the sister that I never knew. Would you like to hear the story?"

He nodded mutely, as she guided him to a pew in which they could still see the painting.

"In the beginning my Father created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the water.

And God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. God saw the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness.

And God said, "Let there be a vault between the water to separate water from water." So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And is was so. God called the vault "Sky." And there was evening and there was morning the – the second day.

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky." So God createdthe great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

But then God, while preparing to bring about the next of his creations found the slumbering Darkness.

To God and all he created it was an amoral and destructive primordial force. It was the primeval soup that He had used to bring forth his creations. The Darkness was the Void, everything and nothing all at once, a thing that shouldn't exist yet it did. The Darkness wished to return everything to the nothingness that came before. Where God raised the Light to prominence and called it Good, the Darkness was left to fade away, or so the Lord hoped. As if sensing the power of its other half, that which the Lord had sundered to create the World, the Darkness began to stir.

God seeing the way the darkness corrupted and devastated his creations was troubled. He could not risk bringing forth anything else, only for it to be devoured by that ancient force. Slowly a plan formed in his mind and taking the Primordial Light that he had separated, he shaped it to bring forth the first of the Heavenly Host. To his first child he bestowed great beauty and wisdom, granting it powers only surpassed by his own, and when the child emerged he smiled.

Later when he brought forth his mortal children he would base their form on hers. Possessing great beauty and power, the first of his creations to be armed with the notion of Free Will, he made sure to nurture her as if he was his own. To her he gave the name Celeste, the First and Brightest of his children. While she grew the Darkness continued to spread taking in more and more, undoing centuries of planning and work as it sought to accomplish its own mission. When at last he was satisfied with her growth, that her Light would eclipse the Darkness they took to the battlefield clad in great armor and with blazing weapons.

What the Lord did not realize was his Daughter and the Darkness were closer than he thought.

For every strength Celeste gained so too did the Darkness gain a counter, for every weakness it had Celeste was cursed to bear. The Darkness and the Light, one could not have one without the other, two halves of the same force, and as their titanic struggles grew even the Lord found himself struggling to keep up.

Darkness and Light, both drew upon the Primordial Void to fuel themselves, granting them inexhaustible energy and stamina, until finally they were the only two combatants left on the devastated field that had been the beginning of God's creations.

No one knows what was said on that ruined husk of a planet, as Celeste confronted the Darkness, arms laid low as she approached her other half. The Darkness surged around her in rapturous joy willingly inviting her deeper into itself. Days turned into nights, into months and into years until time itself had no more meaning, and still Celeste traversed deeper, knowing yet not knowing exactly where she was going. Even the Lord grew dismayed at her absence, and whilst he waited the return on his Daughter, he set about fixing everything that had been destroyed. In the wake of the war everything that had he had created had either been destroyed or corrupted, animals horribly mutated by the chaotic energies preyed on others and spread their disease, water once pure and now little more than sulfuric lakes that bubbled and hissed ominously.

Rather than work to fix everything and undo the taint the Lord separated the ruined creations, creating a mirror of the world, one untouched by war and the other smoldering with brimstone, death, and destruction To the untouched world he began to bring forth all his creations, and to speed up the process began to create more children. These angels were based on his Daughter, a sliver of her very essence being imbued within each one of them, each blessed by his own divine might and wielding Heaven's power against any enemy that they might encounter.

Lucifer

Michael

Gabriel

Penemue

Azazel

Sahariel

Shemhazai

Uriel

Amaros

Baraquiel

Kokabiel

Raphael

Tamiel

The First Sons and Daughters he created following the War of Creation. With their help he set about rebuilding everything that was lost. And after everything was rebuilt my Father created you. 'Filthy mongrels, crawling around in your own feces', my brother called you, and at the time he was right."

He was silent as she continued to talk, finally coming to stand in front of him. She was almost the same height as his 6'2" frame, her hand reached up to cup his chin, as she smiled forlornly. "But I saw what he couldn't. I saw the capacity for good within you, the hope, the love, and the regret that Adam bore when he realized he turned his back on Father's Love." Her eyes hardened, "but at the same time I saw the wickedness that had infected you. I saw the horrors that you would commit, the atrocities that could make even the Ancient Devils shudder in disgust, and I was intrigued."

She removed her hand and turned her back on him, walking up the aisle to stand before a magnificent golden cross. He followed at her side, quiet and contrite, as he kneeled before the Divine Presence he could feel emanating from the Sacred Symbol. "Here were my Father's new children, my new brothers and sisters, and I took it upon myself to teach you, to protect you as best I could."

Her chin fell as tears began to pool around her eyes. "Any yet it was not enough. Not nearly enough."

Wordlessly he got up from his position and embraced her, her head resting on his shoulder, uncaring of the tears that began to stain his dark blazer. Strong fingers began to caress her back over the thin vestments she wore, her sobbing growing quieter and quieter as he softly mewled reassurances and absolutions into her ear. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is." She countered. "For every one I saved another 2 would be tempted away from Father's Light. It was a futile struggle in protecting you, and yet I was bound against interfering with you directly. If I had-"

"Then your Father would've had no choice but to censure you." He countered. "With the gift of free will he also made us accountable for our own actions, and limited you so that we could grow and develop on our own."

"Still I can't help but think what might have happened if I were more proactive. What if I had not shown any mercy to Lucifer and those that Fell? What if I had struck them with righteous fury as my Sister and I originally intended."

He pressed her firmly against his chest. "Don't compare yourself to her. The two of you are different people, and while you may have been created to serve the same purpose your methods cannot be any more different. Where you were kind and gentle she was harsh and unforgiving. When you sought to soothe the pain and guide us to His Light, she smote us with zealous fury, raining plagues, and fire, and death upon us. Be proud of your accomplishments, of the things that you've done that she can only dream of achieving."

Laying a hand on his chest, she gently pushed him away. "Pride is a sin you know."

"We're all allowed to indulge just a bit. Is a painter damning his soul to purgatory when he feels pride in his masterpiece? A parent upon seeing their child succeed? Pride and envy, together they drive forth progress. The beggar is envious of the rich, and the rich envious of the richer. What many call sin is nothing more than a fundamental quality of man, in and by itself pride is not bad but when it becomes arrogance…" He paused letting his words sink in. "Arrogance has led to the ruin of empires, the fall of civilization, and even the death of Gods."

"Pride also stops you from bending your knee when your Father tells you to, and you think you know better." She opposed.

"The Arrogance of the First Fallen is what led us to be cursed as we are." He said sadly. "Cast out from Heaven, abandoned by the Father to whom he held in highest regard. With

"You aren't an unfeeling automaton." He gently chided. "Rather you're simply unused to situations where you can freely express yourself. The fear of Falling stops you from acting out."

"You're right." She sighed. "When Father was around he could at least properly judge our actions, but the System only deals in absolutes."

"There is no such thing as absolutes." He countered. "You're a person, a living, thinking sentient, and the world is not black and white. Life is a precious commodity, and you should embrace it whilst you still can."

She scoffed, unable to comprehend his statement. For as caring as loving and human-like she was mortality was still an alien concept to her. She was immortal so long as no blade pierced her heart or spell wiped her utterly from existence. "I have a dut-"

"A duty?" He interrupted her. "You've done your duty. Sheltered us, taught us what we know, and now it is the time to step back, to test how much progress we have made." Pausing, he gently lifted her chin so that they were staring into each other's eyes. "You've given us so much happiness, touched so many people with your kindness, and been the light that guided me from my darkest places. Your duty is complete. Freedom is at your fingertips. Now it is time that you lived your life as you see fit."

"And if I choose to continue with this?" She challenged.

"Then let it be your choice, not one forced upon you by the commandments of your Creator." He explained.

"Do not fight what your heart is telling you to do. Laugh when you want to laugh, cry when you want to cry, love when you want to love, for at the end of the day that might be the last thing you do. Live with no regrets, no tears, no anxieties, just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine." Taking a step back he knelt before her. Staring at him for a moment she offered her hand as he gently grasped it and brushed his lips against her knuckles. "However know that no matter what you choose I will always be there by your side just as you stood by mine. You deserve your own happiness and I will be the one that makes it so."

"Pretentious much?" She teased with a challenging smirk.

"Merely confident." He countered with a smile.

They were quiet once more, the two reveling in the intimacy of the moment. At that moment all of their burdens and anxieties washed away as they let down their barriers and bared their souls to one another.

Bending from her waist she placed a kiss on his brow. "Then go forth my child."

Feeling the burden that lay across his shoulders lessen at her words, he stood, a smirk on his lips as he faced the altar. "Let the world tremble at my word, and the masses quake at my passing. No sinner spared, for the time of judgment has come." And from the depths of his pocket he summoned a fruit basket, and placed his offering on the altar before him. Turning around he proudly strode out of the church, his cloak flying to his outstretched hand. As soon as he stepped foot outside his the blonde hair and blue eyed may distorted like static on a TV, and in its place silky sable hair framing cursed green eyes took over. Reaching into his pocket he unfolded a pair of half rim glasses, taking a moment to clean the glass before pushing them up with a single finger. Touching the side of the frame the lenses instantly darkened, protecting him from the harsh light that greeted him. "Everything is going just…as…planned." He drawled before snapping his fingers, a tear in the very fabric of the world opening in front of him as he strode forth.

In his wake the grandiose cathedral, floating on the clouds overlooking the Third Heaven, stood sentinel over the souls of those deemed worthy of entering Heaven's Gates.


End file.
